Surgical hosiery



vJune 6, 1933. M. DELLER SURGICAL HOSIERY I Filed oci. 5, 1951 il 5l Patented June 6, 1933i 'UNITED smi-Es wi'risii'rd OFFICE MARIA nnnnnn, orfeotnnns Generi, LONDON; ENGLAND, AssiGNoR 'ro 'rim scnonn MFG. co., ING., or ciiieaeo, ittinois. AlconronATIoN on NEW vom:`

siiiaeicai, riosrnRY Appiieaiion sied oeiobers, 1931, seriai No. 566,540, and in Great `ismael November 7, i930. f

This invention Arelates to surgical hosiery which does y not contain rubber and which rely upon themannerinywhich the yarn is woven to secure the necessary fit and afford comfort to the wearer. Y

One of the principal ob]ections to this "class of hosiery resides in thedilficulty experienced in putting the stocking 'on which necessitates unduly stretching the fabric so that there is discomfort to the wearer about the ankle, while in the regions immediately above the anklethe stocking becomes loose and does not afford the close fit which is` desirable. This objection is overcome in the stocking hereinby providing a greater uniformity of stretching of fthe article as a whole.

` In overcoming `these objections, :the heel portion is `so knitted that it comprises a regionwhich, whenthe stocking is laid flat, is more or less rectangularin 'shape and adapted to be stretched diagonally withV almost the same ease asthe part whichotherwise bridges the foot and ankle regions, thus con foriningeffectively to the shape of the foot. In hosiery of the kind referred to, the provision of an opening or openings intermediate of the toe and ankle is unavoidable in the course of manufacture, and the disposition of such opening or y openings has been variously proposed in or about the region of the heel so that the latter is more` or i less exposed underneath or at the sides.

One of the objects, therefore, of this invention is to provide surgical hosiery which (all the stitches from the needles ofthe front needle bed are placed on combs and `hung between the needle-beds.

" about the opening or openings is so woven as to avoid discomfort to the wearer thereof when the article is in use.

Other and further important objects of.

this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawing.

This invention more` fully described:

(in a preferred` forni) is illustrated inthe drawing and hereinafter creasing transversely and turning up` the foot portion. v

Figure 3 illustrates a modification of the heel portion'shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4l illustrates another modification of the heel portion shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a further modification in which Vthe openings in the heel portion has been closed.` i

`As shown on the drawing:

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the `numeral l 1 designates the heel region of the `stocking which is substantially square, the stitches `of which run in a direction such that a diagonal extends across the greatest width of the stocking, andproviding` a `layer which is devoid of a seam underneath `the heel.

The opening?. at the back of the heel is due to the fact that the `heel region 1 is knitted y separately and is sewn along the line 4 to ythe leg portion 5,. The foot portion G is a continuation of the knit of the heel portion 1 andthe leg portion 5.

The manner in which this particular form of sto'ckingmay be produced will be understood from the follo`wing:" i. i

It is assumedthat the fiatknitting machine, gauge 21-12 needles per inch isto be "employed and a `medium 4size stocking pro* duced. y y Afterkiiitting the leg and ankleportions,

y With a differently coloredyarn, knit two or three rounds on the rear bed of the Ina-` chine so as to hold the stitches together, and

.then-the leg portion `istaken` from the machine. f A. y

A separate piece `is now knitted, circular work," withythe same number "of needles.1 which are in action, first seven rounds plac- 1 ing ythe indicators two numbers tighter than Y the first six rounds for eXample being cirfor the leg portion, one half round l-I-l rib, and another twenty-five and a half rounds of circular work.

For the heel portion of larger size hose, three to siX additional rounds should be added, while for smaller size hose vit will be necessary to delete three to six rounds.

The carriage of the machine now being on the right, a half round 1+ l rib is knitted, and the indicators l and 2 are thereupon lowered. y

The stitches from the front bed of the machine are then `transferred to the rear bed, and the leg portion is hung on the front by transferring the stitches Vwhich are on the combs to the needles of the front bed. The foot portion is thereupon knitted.

The heel portion can also be knitted on a second machine, and then transferred with combs into the first machine, whereupon in such event there is no necessity for taking the stitches fromthe needles of the lfront bed on combs and the removal of the leg portion from the machine. y l y r In finishing the stocking, the Stitches of the rear part of the leg, which are held Vtogether by 'the separately color'edryarn, are sewn on by hand at both sides of the heel portion, along the line 4i, whereupon the ankle portion and the heel portion are joined. After this has been done, the differentlycolored yarn is removed.

, There is now only one opening at the back of the heel which is formed by the firstk rou-nds of the heel portion. y

The result of the foregoing operation is va heel region l of double-web presenting margin at the rear opening, without seam, and merging also without seam smoothly into the foot portion of the single-web, the two sewn seams runningparallel to the foot portion at both sides 'of the heel. Y,

If` desired, the heel opening 3 may ybe closed by subsequent A hand-stitching.V Referring to the modification shown in Figure 3, the heel region la is shown made in 1+i rib 'so thatlit is of single-web 4thickness instead of double, as in the preferred construction.l To accomplish this construction, the 'necessary number of rounds Aof i+1 rib are knit with the same number of needles as are in action introducing the leg portion 5.

Figure 4 is adirect modification of Figure Y 3, the heel portion 1b being knit with a fewer number of needles than :previously in action,

cular with a very tight tension, followed by rounds 1n cardigan or 'half cardigan.

In Figure 5, a construction-1s shown in which there is no opening in the heel :pory tion. To accomplish this feature,'only one half of the needles .previously .i-n action are used, iirs't one round with the ffirst and fourth lpinsout and second and vthird .pins in, followed by a round with the second and third pins out and iirst and fourth pins in, and so on. The piece of knitting which resuits is a single-web similar to circular work, but open at one side indicated at 4a, where a joint is effected with the rest of the stocking made and numerous details of construction may be varied through Va wide range without departing Afrom the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I 'claim as my invention:

In a stocking ofthe character described, a leg portion, and 'heel portion and a foot portion, v'said leg 'portion having wales eX- tend-ing longitudinally thereof and termihating substantially horizontal line adjacent the up'er edge 'of sai/d lieel portion, said heel 'portion being substantially rectangular inf si'd'e elevation and extending from tlieyrea'r edge of the leg portion forwardly along the lower 'ed'ge of the rear half vof, the leg portion, the lower half of the foot portion being a continuation of the heel portion and having corresponding wales disposed 'atl substantially right angles to the rear part of the leg portion, the upper edge 'of the li'e'el portion 'being stitched along` a substantially horizontal line to the lower edge'of the rear part of the leg portion.

In testimony 'whereof I have hereunto subscribed my naine at Winterthur.

MARIA DELLER.

lau 

